Category Archives: Uncategorized

News Update

August 9, 2014 Robin Tully Leave a comment

Light painting on Sorrento Back Beach. Photo by Joe Conte.

Light Painting Hands-On Workshop

At the next meeting on Monday, 11 August, we’ll have a hands-on workshop on light painting. This is a fun technique in which which exposures are made by moving a hand-held light source or by moving the camera. Members and visitors should bring a camera, a tripod, and anything that can create light safely such as a torch, glow sticks, or sparklers.

Submit your images for the Scapes competition

This is a reminder that print and digital submissions are due for the Scapes competition on Monday, 11 August. Please double check your images to ensure they are within the club and competition rules and that they are sized and named correctly.

Submit your images for the Parklands Interclub Competition

Submissions for the Preston Photographic Club versus Parklands Interclub Competition are now being accepted. Members may submit their best prints and digital images following the normal club rules. Submissions are due at the next meeting on Monday, 11 August. Thank you to Michael Jones who will collect the images and coordinate.

New guidelines for Facebook

The Facebook group will transition from a closed group of members and friends to club members only by 1 April 2015. We thank our friends for their contributions to the group and invite them to keep up with us here on our website and on our Facebook Page where you can ask questions, share your photos and information, and participate in general conversation. We also encourage our friends to join the club! For more information, please visit our About Us page.

Become a photographic club judge

The Victorian Association of Photographic Societies (VAPS) is offering another judges course on 12 October. This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in becoming a judge for other clubs or if you’re simply curious to learn more about how judges make decisions about photos. It is also suitable for anyone looking to improve their photography. Existing judges are welcome to attend and refresh their skills.

The course runs from 8:30am to 5pm and the cost is $15. Space is limited to 60 persons and the last course filled quickly. If you’re interested, please contact Alfred Zommers at Alfred99@internode.on.net as soon as possible.

Join the committee

2014 is flying! The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is coming up in October and we will be holding elections for the following positions on the committee: President, Competition Steward, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee Member (multiple positions are available). All members are encouraged to consider running for a position on the committee. We are always looking for new ideas and fresh energy. For more information about the duties of a position, please see the club rules on our About Us page or speak to the committee member currently holding the position you are interested in.

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Congratulations to the Winners of the Monochrome Competition

August 1, 2014 Robin Tully Leave a comment

Congratulations to all the winners of the Monochrome competition!

Prints Novice

1st Lazin’ Around by Renee Kennedy
2nd Amanda by Milan Krmpotic
3rd On the Murray by Renee Kennedy

Prints Standard

1st Making My Own Fun by Alison Crea
2nd Eleanor by Steven Pace
3rd Monotone Fashion by Alison Crea
Highly Commended Artist at Work by Robin Tully
Highly Commended Pentridge by Alison Crea
Highly Commended School Sucks by Steven Pace
Highly Commended St. Patrick’s Cathedral by Fabian Scarmozzino

Digital Novice

1st Abandoned by Renee Kennedy
2nd Sunrise Secrets by Sandra Alesiani
Highly Commended Memorial by Luke van Maanen
Highly Commended Sheena by Eric Yuan
Highly Commended The Look by Milan Krmpotis
Highly Commended Under the Bridge by Cosette Paneque

[Show slideshow]

Digital Standard

1st No Dialing Necessary by Alison Crea
2nd Ballerina by Alison Crea
3rd Father and Son by Fabian Scarmozzino
Highly Commended Me and My Monkey by Rachael Eaton
Highly Commended Ned Kelly’s Walk of Shame by Fabian Scarmozzino
Highly Commended Old Train Workshop by Ian Logan
Highly Commended Paul by Rachael Eaton
Highly Commended Submerged Tree by Deborah Keir

[Show slideshow]

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William Eggleston’s Guide

July 26, 2014 Robin Tully Leave a comment

photography — William Egglestone’s Guide

If an artist were to admit that he was uncertain as to what part of the content of his work asnwered to life and what part to art, and was perhaps even uncertain as to precisely where the bounday between them lay, we would probably consider him incompetent. -John Szarkowski

The latest addition to the Preston Photographic Club’s library has been polarizing, perhaps like all great art should be.

By the 1970s, colour was everywhere, but photography was still largely in black and white. Photographers such as Walker Evans declared colour photography “vulgar” and Robert Frank insisted that “black and white are the colours of photography.” Then came William Eggleston.

William Eggleston’s Guide is the accompanying book to his 1976 exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA). Photographers such as Paul Outerbridge, Eliot Porter, and Stephen Shore had worked in colour, but Eggleston’s exhibit was a watershed moment in the history of colour photography. His was the first one-man exhibition and it marked the acceptance of colour photography by an important institution (MoMA). As a result, Eggleston ushered in a new era of colour photography.

Eggleston’s work is characterized by its ordinary subject matter – an incomplete jigsaw puzzle on a folding table in the lounge room, discarded plastic bottles, a child’s tricycle, the interior of a kitchen oven, a jacket hanging on the wall. Whereas many photographers pursue the beautiful and the extraordinary moments in life, Eggleston’s seemed to be interested in random, ordinary, banal, boring stuff. His camera was democratic and, to Eggleston, a sunset was no more beautiful than a hair dryer. The photographs that appear in William Eggleston’s Guide were largely taken in Tennessee and Mississippi in the southern United States, these areas are not exactly known for glitz and glamour.

Eggleston found beauty in the mundane and he took colour photography out of the hands of fashion magazines and turned it into an expression of the every day. We take colour photography for granted now, but Eggleston’s 1976 exhibition was shocking and radical. Whether you love him, hate him or find yourself indifferent to him, Eggleston is one of the great pioneers of colour photography.

For more information about William Eggleston, please visit his website.

William Eggleston’s Guide is now available to club members. Please see our librarian Michael Jones to check it out. And a big thank you to Michael for adding this important book to our wonderful library.

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Photo Books

July 25, 2014 Robin Tully Leave a comment

Recently Preston Photographic Club member Sam Mariani gave a choice presentation on photo books.

In this day and age of all things digital where websites such as Facebook and Instagram are the primary ways in which people share their pictures, photo albums may seem passé, but there are some great reasons to make photo books.

Photo books tell your story your way. You can collect and organize your pictures around a particular theme such as your backpacking trip across Europe or the year you spent building your house. You can customize your book by arranging the photos how you want and adding text and design elements to insert your unique personality into the book.

Photo books bring your memories to life. We love the Internet as much as anyone else, but looking at a beautiful book on your lap feels different than viewing it on a computer monitor or mobile device. The album’s weight and the smooth feel of the glossy pages filled with vibrant photos offer substance and tangibility. It’s also a wonderful way to share your photography with people who may not be online or on your preferred photo sharing website.

Photo books are beautiful and professional. They make great coffee table books and you can also use them to create a portfolio. You can easily integrate photo books into your photography business. They also make beautiful gifts.

Putting together your own photo book can be very easy. There are a number of websites that allow you to create them such as Snapfish, momento, Artisan State, and albumworks. In most cases, you download a desktop program, create the photo book, and then upload the whole thing to the site. The company then prints the book and ships it to you. Costs vary according to factors such as the size of the book, the quality of the paper and printing, and so forth. Besides cost, other things to consider when selecting a company to create your photo book are ease of use, delivery options, and design options.

Sam noted that the result in printing may not always be what you expect. It may be worth creating a small book with more than one company to compare the results before making a final decision.

Many photo book sites also offer other products such as calendars, cards, posters, diaries, and coffee mugs, which all make great gifts showcasing your photography.

A big thanks to Sam Mariani and also to Joe Conte for sharing these terrific resources.

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Congratulations Winners of the Showing Motion Competition

July 18, 2014 Robin Tully Leave a comment

Congratulations to all the winners of the Showing Motion competition!

Prints Novice

1st Masterpiece in the Making by Maria Mally
2nd Be Still by Lisa Rabbito-Nolen
3rd Goes By by Lisa Rabbito-Nolen
Highly Commended Waterfall by Lisa Rabbito-Nolen
Highly Commended Air by Sharon Crabb
Highly Commended Waterlily Bud by Maria Mally

Prints Standard

1st The Cyclist by Robin Tully
2nd Behind the 8-Ball by Alison Crea
3rd Spinning by Swetko Muntisov
Highly Commended Sunday Drive by Steven Pace
Highly Commended Domino Effect by Alison Crea
Highly Commended Mary Poppins by Steven Pace
Highly Commended Big Bang by Alison Crea

[Show slideshow]

Digital Novice

1st Chasey at Edwardes Lake by Sandra Alesiani
2nd Zoom by Sharon Crabb
3rd Ghosts by Lisa Rabbito-Nolen
Highly Commended Happiness is… by Sandra Alesiani

[Show slideshow]

Digital Standard

1st Flyboard by Alan Turner
2nd Splash by Alan Turner
3rd The Twist by Fabian Scarmozzino
Highly Commended Richard Casquet by Deborah Keir
Highly Commended Riding Along by Alison Crea
Highly Commended There Goes My Tram by Sam Mariani
Highly Commended Tossing Dice by Alison Crea
Highly Commended Smoke Screen by Sam Mariani
Highly Commended Grand Central Station by Deborah Keir
Highly Commended Water Balloon by Fabian Scarmozzino

[Show slideshow]

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Congratulations Winners of the Up Close Competition

July 9, 2014 Robin Tully Leave a comment

Congratulations to all the winners of the Up Close competition!

Prints Novice

1st Light it Up by Lisa Rabbito-Nolan
2nd Golden Centre by Maria Mally
3rd Babies Grasp by Lisa Rabbito-Nolan
Highly Commended Waterlily Bud by Maria Mally

Prints Standard

1st So Fresh by Fabian Scarmozzino
2nd Oil in Water by Alison Crea
3rd Dragonfly by Stephen Currie
Highly Commended Candle by Stephen Currie
Highly Commended Close Up by Steven Pace

Digital Novice

1st Downy Barbs by Cosette Paneque
2nd Lotus Bud by Sharon Crabb
3rd Untitled 1 by Eric Yuan
Highly Commended Funny Bone by Cosette Paneque
Highly Commended Lilac Lotus by Sharon Crabb

[Show slideshow]

Digital Standard

1st Feather by Fabian Scarmozzino
2nd Milk in Oil by Alison Crea
3rd Lanark Band by Sonya O’Brien
Highly Commended Going Up by Alan Turner
Highly Commended Audible by Rachael Eaton
Highly Commended Snail by Rachael Eaton
Highly Commended Goose by Robin Tully
Highly Commended Screw by Deborah Keir

[Show slideshow]

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Winter Fireworks at Docklands

June 27, 2014 Robin Tully Leave a comment

The Winter Fireworks at Docklands happen every Friday night between 4 July and 29 August. Join the Preston Photographic Club for a great night out of fireworks photography and dinner on Friday, 4th of July at 6:30pm.

This year, we will meet at the Alma Doepel Restoration sign towards the end of North Wharf. Preston Photographic Club Deborah Keir says she has taken photos from the North Wharf before, and you get some great views looking back towards New Quay, and there are fewer people.

Following that, we’ll have dinner at Groove Train Victoria Harbour overlooking the Yarra at 833 Collins Street, Docklands, at 7:40pm.

Getting There

Public Transport: The closest public transport is the tram 48 which goes along Collins Street into Docklands past the ANZ building. Get off at the last stop and then walk from there.

Driving: There is some parking on North Wharf itself (at the end of Collins Street), but as there is an AFL game at Etihad Stadium (Hawks vs Kangaroos) you will need to be there early. There are other parking options around Docklands but with a game on at ES traffic may be bad so be sure to leave yourself plenty of time.

Walking: When I visited the site there was work being done along the Victoria Harbour side of North Wharf, so to get to the end you may need to walk through the car park on North Wharf Rd and then cut back to the harbour after building 3 (the boat school).

For more information about the Docklands Winter Fireworks and a map of the area, please visit its event page on That’sMelbourne.com.au.

Please RSVP as we’ll need a number for the restaurant. You can RSVP in the comments below, at a meeting, on Facebook, or email Deb here.

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June Social at Basil House

June 23, 2014 Robin Tully Leave a comment

The Preston Photographic Club generally meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month, but if the month has a fifth Monday, we have a social night out.

Members, family, and friends are invited to gather at Basil House Thai & Vietnamese Restaurant on Monday, the 30 of June, at 7pm. Basil House is located at 461 High Street in Preston. There is street parking along the front of the restaurant and ample parking behind in the Preston Market.

Basil House offers a variety of favourites such as spring rolls, noodle soups, stir fries, vermicelli, and fried and steamed rice dishes. The menu includes beef and chicken dishes as well as prawns, pork, and tofu.

Club secretary Andrew Leece is our contact person for this event. Please RSVP so we can give the restaurant a number. You can RSVP in the comments below, at a meeting, on Facebook, or email Andrew here.

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Night Photography Workshop

June 6, 2014 Robin Tully Leave a comment

This image was taken after sunset and handheld by Deborah Keir.

Low light levels make night photography challenging but rewarding. Join the Preston Photographic Club on Tuesday, the 10th of June, for a hands-on workshop on night photography.

We’ll be looking at techniques and sharing tips on shooting at night without a tripod, but do bring your camera and flash. Following a brief lecture, we’ll be heading outside so do dress appropriately for the weather. If it rains, we will still go out and shoot from under the verandas of High Street. You may want to bring protection for your camera gear.

A reminder that we will be meeting on Tuesday instead of Monday due to the Queen’s Birthday holiday. The meeting begins at 7:30pm at the Preston Library located at 266 Gower Street, Preston (Melway reference Map 18, G12).

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Lightroom Workshop

May 27, 2014 Robin Tully Leave a comment

Adobe Lightroom is a powerful tool for managing digital images and post-production. It can be daunting for beginners and even experienced users still find themselves learning more about it with every use.

The Preston Photographic Club is hosting a hands-on workshop for club members on Lightroom on Saturday, 14th of June. This workshop won’t be led by anyone in particular. It is a collaborative approach to learning in which everyone who participates will share their knowledge of Lightroom as we all work together on the same images. Novices and advanced users are all welcome to participate.

If you’ve never used Lightroom before, this is a great opportunity to get started. Lightroom is built for photographers and offers tremendous control over your processing, workflow, and organization. Learn how to take your photography to the next level with Lightroom. And if you’re an advanced user, please come and share your knowledge.

The workshop is Saturday, 14th of June, from 10am to 3pm. The cost of the workshop is $10 and it will be held in a computer lab. You can use one of the computers in the lab (Apple Macs) or bring your own laptop. Please note that Internet access will not be available. If you are using Lightroom in Adobe’s Creative Cloud, please make sure you verify your account before coming to the workshop as you will not be able to do it there. Bring lunch or purchase it from the local cafe. Please RSVP to Joe Conte and he will provide the details of the location.

Please note that this workshop is for members only. For more information about how to join the Preston Photographic Club, please see the About Us page or contact us.